Tre

2000 hours, Jan 20, Friday, Lower Parel

The Prelude:

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Tre, launched on Jan 19, 2017, is one more gem in the chain of restaurants and lounges belonging to the Arham Hospitality group. A lounge cum Sheesha bar, it is located in the depths of Raghuvanshi Mill Compound in Lower Parel. A cousin of Fumes located a section below, it boasts of unique concoctions, fab Sheeshas, and a first of its kind multi cuisine – Indian, Italian, Chinese - vegetarian Finger food. It's Tagline -Laze. Vapour. Buoyant! – fits to the tee and you can enjoy these TRE experiences, all under one roof. Or err…, un-roof.

The Picture:

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Tre is apt for those planning to enjoy a chilled out evening below the stars. Spread across two sections, it is a 150 seater restaurant spanning a whopping 2100 square feet. The open air sky view one with comfortable cushy seating is A-perfect for the hookah lovers. The lower level, a fine dine place, is another story altogether. Fiery brick textured walls. An entire wall adorned with bottle shaped metal cut outs with bright lights behind them, giving it an Arabian Nights feel. The blue velvet sofa seating only enhances the royal touch. Mirror Table tops make it all the more ethereal. Extremely well lit. A bevy of servers hovering to sense your slightest needs. A DJ in a corner dishing out contemporary music. A fully loaded and well adorned bar section. The picture is complete.

The Personality:

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We were hosted by Savita Prabhu, the Corporate Head, Marketing and PR for the group. Simplicity personified, we found an instant friend in her. Savita has worked with brands like Le Meridien, Punjab Grill and the Acres Club in the past, and has also had a stint with Pioneer Publicity. A few months old in the company, the marketing responsibility of all the restaurants of the group falls on her dainty shoulders. She not only saw to it that we were at our utmost comfort but also took charge to inform us a bit more about the place.

 

The Program:

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We learn more about the quality premiumness of the location.

“Most of our food ingredients are made in-house. The Paneer is in-house. The breads are baked in-house. The cake bases are made in-house.”

“We try to avoid artificial flavours or colouring agents. Every single bit is natural food here.”

“We have a system of everyday sourcing rather than keeping stock. Our gravies are made fresh every single day. We would rather express regret to a patron than to serve him a day old food”.

“Likewise for our bar concoctions. Very few juices are the canned ones. We try to stick to the freshness of fruits as far as possible.”

“Our sheeshas too will not hurt your throat”.

The Platter:

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AGLIO OLIO CORN (3.5 / 5):

Theatrics right from the word go. So this was a longish green plastic bottle, laid horizontally and held by a stand with a silver chain strewn around. The bottle had a section of it ripped off, and the resulting container held the corn delight. Lemony tangy, butter soft and mildly garlicky. Nice, but not exactly outstanding.

PAPAD PLATTER (3.5 / 5):

A cutesy baby truck carrying loads of Khichiya papad. Crunchy and crisp, a perfect munching accompaniment to go along with your drink. If you are nursing a drink, that is.

TRE TANDOOR TIKKA (4.5 / 5):

Now you are talking. A beautiful long platter carrying an assortment of tandoori delights. True to the name, three tikkas - paneer, mushroom and baby potatoes. The tikkas were rightly char grilled, the mushroom literally melted in the mouth, the Paneer was soft and fresh, and the baby potatoes too groovy. The slathering with a spicy, achaari marinade kind of further elevated the flavour.

LAFFAS (4.5 / 5):

This affair was probably the best of the lot, you had a large roti, deep fried and served as a wrap. It held a fantastic spicy mishmash of all the veggies –capsicum, onion, tomato, the coloured bells. And treated with mayo and mustard sauce. Outstanding.

CHEESE GARLIC BREAD (4 / 5):

With hot melting cheese. Sufficiently garlicky, but I would have preferred more. Nicely toasted bread, and we lapped it up quickly.

EXOTIC PIZZA (4.5 / 5):

And boy, was it exotic! A thin crust large pizza with melting cheese and loads of mushroom bits and pineapple chunks. Also strewn with diced onion. Delicious every bite. 

The Pitcher:

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KOKAM AND GINGER FIZZ (4.5 / 5):

A big Yes to this. Kokum and ginger syrup served with fizzy ale. The bite of kokum was delightfully there and the affair was not too sweet. Just perfect. 

PINK GUAVA (3 / 5):

A hit and miss as the drink had been made a tad extra sweet.

The Pleasure:

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NITROGEN SPARE (5/5):

The best for the last. We were initially informed that this dessert was not available for the day, but then Savita, our magic genie, waved her wand and made this happen for us. A fare as alluring in its live presentation as its content. A layered affair, you had chocolate ice cream and sponge cake and apple bits resting at the bottom, over which frozen white cream drops a la pop corn brought in a strainer and rained over. Then a drizzle of caramel cream. Followed by another round of chocolate cream. The entire affair emanating fumes, turning it into a mesmerizing experience.

 

The Postlude:

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TRE is a great wholesome experience. The food is great, but I suspect it might not pull patrons of its own. Sheesha and cocktails are its biggest draw. The location is right, the ambiance awesome and the open air below-the-stars a great attraction. Just a day old but I could see it getting thronged within no time. Just an indicator of things to come. I am sure this is bound to become a hot spot for hookah lovers in a very very short time.

The Parameters:

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The Food Quotient : Food Quality 5 / 5, Food Choices 3.5 / 5, Food Portion 4 / 5, Food Presentation 4.5 / 5

The Other Determinants: Location 4 / 5, Cleanliness 4 / 5, Warmth 5 / 5

The Hygiene Factors : Ambience 4 / 5, Space quotient 4 / 5, Delivery time 4.5 / 5

The Conclusives : Food Price 3.5 / 5, The Overall Experience 4 / 5, Will I Visit again 5 / 5

The Ps:

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